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Balancing School and Sports: The Busiest Students on Campus
Kaleigh Mazza Student Athletes: A Different Breed of Academic Dedication While most college freshman worry about getting their work done or studying in in order to start partying with their friends, college athletes have only one concern: making the grade to play the sport they love. The hardcore partying older friends warn incoming freshman about is not in the forefront of a student athlete's mind. While many wish to have the active drinking and social life of a typical college freshman, student athletes put most social engagements on hold to pursue their athletic dreams and let their sport define their desired future. Student athletes have their day planned down to the minute and do not settle for mediocrity in grades or in sport. With all of this planning comes great responsibility and a greater respect for the grades they obtain. I believe that with getting a glimpse in to how these dedicated students carry themselves outside of the classroom, incoming University of Georgia freshman will have a greater respect for the academic system and earning their grades, rather than settling. Interviews Interviews with Sadio Doumbia (Tennis, senior), Marisela Rodriguez (Basketball, freshman), and Zach Debell (Football, freshman) were conducted to find out how student athletes manage to balance their time designated to sports and school. # What do you believe is the hardest part about being a student athlete? SD: “Finding the time to study with three hours of practice and four hours of tutoring everyday.” MR: “Learning to find the balance of school, sports, and a social life while making sure I keep my grades where they need to be.” ZD: “Finding the time to relax and take a breath. In my day there is not a second of free time to have that normal social life I was hoping for.” # What is your current GPA? SD: 3.9 MR: 3.1 ZD: 3.2 # What is your intended major? SD and ZB: Sport's Medicine MR: History # Do you see yourself pursuing your sport before a different career? SD: “Definitely.” ZB: “If I can get drafted, then yes.” MR: “I want to play as long as possible.” # If you had to give advice to incoming freshman, what would you say? SD: “There really is no balance between school, sports, and a social life. It is the drive of the person and what they deem important. That is the only way you will be successful, put what is key to your future first.” MR: “Learn to focus on aspects that pertain to your future before social situations. It may be lonely at the time, but you'll thank me later.” ZD: “Study first, sports second, and partying if there is time. That order will never change.” # Do you go out with friends on the weekends? Where to? How late do you typically stay out? SD: “Yes, to bars downtown with my team. I will only stay out past midnight if I do not have a big test or practice the next day.” MR: “I spend a lot of time with my team in our different dorm rooms. After a long week of school and basketball, all I want to do is rest and prepare for the next week.” ZD: “During the fall my weekends are based around our games. Maybe I will go out more in the Spring.” # How many hours do you study before an exam? SD: “I study probably for thirteen hours before an exam.” MR: “Around ten hours.” ZD: “Six or seven hours depending on how hard the class is.” # Do you cram for exams or learn concepts over the weeks prior to the exam? SD: “I am a big believer in studying old material while learning new material. I feel it helps reinforce old ideas, but that doesn't mean I haven't had my cram sessions since I've been in college.” MR: “I do a little bit of both. At first I try to be proactive and stay on top of my readings, but I typically end up cramming in the end.” ZD: “I cram, but I know I would do better if I didn't.” # Where do you normally study? SD: “Anywhere but my room. I cannot stand studying and sleeping in the same place because I feel as if I am only in my room.” MR: “I study at Rankin, the athlete tutoring center.” ZD: “I study at Rankin or in my room.” It's All on You From comparing the above interviews, any incoming freshman can see that punctuality and timeliness of each student athlete depends completely on the individual and what they deem important. A college survival guide website claims, “Some of us are better than others when it comes to resisting temptations or saying no to peer pressure. Some students, too, worry more about grades and class performance than others do, and they work hard to make academics a priority” (Balancing Schoolwork and Social Life- Ask the Dean). Student athletes have no choice but to make academics their only focus. They know success in sports and their future depends completely on how successful they are in the classroom. If They Can, We All Can Seeing the time and priority struggle these athletes face makes managing time as a regular student more reasonable to picture. While athletes reward themselves with playing their sport, typical freshman can reward themselves with time with friends. The key to this balance all relays back to the individual as a student wanting to succeed. Just because a student may think they worked hard in high school to get in to the University of Georgia does not mean their academic career is winding down. Take it from the above athletes, high school was not even the beginning to the amount of information the normal undergraduate will learn in college. When it all boils down, focusing mainly on school over an excessive social life will make for an easier adjustment to job opportunities in the future. Parents are not here anymore to breathe down the necks of their children to make sure all of their homework is done before the child can reward themselves with an hour of television. Growing in to a distinct individual and learning the study and social habits that work best for s/he makes them an all around healthier person. Works Cited "Balancing College School Work and Social Life - Ask The Dean." CollegeConfidential.com. College Confidential, Inc., 01 Jan. 2001. Web. 07 Nov. 2011. Debell, Zach. "Balancing Football and Academics." Personal interview. 28 Oct. 2011. Doumbia, Sadio. "Balancing Tennis and Academics." Personal interview. 27 Oct. 2011. Rodriguez, Marisela. "Balancing Basketball and Academics." Online interview. 28 Oct. 2011. Category:Planning Your College Career